The 2012 Consumer Electronic Conference (CES) came to a close last week with no shortage of Android tablet news. The consensus going into CES was that manufacturers maybe opting to have less tablets but focus on quality. Instead we got a flurry of new tablets and but there was certainly a focus on quality besides some low-cost options. Everybody stepped up their game in the tablet hardware space but Asus may have come out the winner with their 7 inch Transformer Prime for $249. A high-end tablet at a Kindle price is a first and something everyone was super excited to see. But there were many more tablets and below is a summary of most of them by manufacturer.
Acer
Iconia Tab A700: Acer’s big tablet announcement came in the form of the new A700. The tablet is a 10 inch 1080p IPS like panel with 1.3 GHz Nvidia quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM. The device will ship with ICS and features Acer’s ring lockscreen allowing the launch of applications. A worthy competitor to the Transformer Prime.
Iconia Tab A510: Acer stepped up their game in the hardware with their successor to the A500. The new A510 features 1.3 GHz processor Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1200 x 800 resolution, 5MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing cam and shipping with ICS. Lighter and thinner than its predecessor but not the same feel as some of the other high-end tablets.
Asus
Transformer Prime TFT700T: Although the original Transformer Prime TFT201 was just released, Asus has come out with a slight upgrade version. This is due to the fact that the original Prime was having issues with the back-plate used that was giving pure WiFi and GPS signals. The new TFT700T boast a higher resolution at 1920 x 1200, 2MP front camera and new back-plate for better radio reception.
MeMo 370T: The Transformer Prime little brother and the big hit at CES. Boasting a 7 inch screen with Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1200 x 800 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 16GB storage, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera (no front camera) and shipping with Android ICS. All the high-end specs in a small form factor at an unbelievable of $249 price.The game is on Kindle Fire.
Coby
Kyros: Coby announced 9 budget tablets at CES all running ICS. They range from small all way to the 10.1 inch display at $300. The tablets don’t come with the latest hardware but do have Cortex A8 processors. Due to the lower hardware you won’t get the Android Market and will have to use alternative markets or sideload apps. If you’re looking for a budget tablet this might be the way to go but with the Kindle Fire and new Asus Prime 7 inch it’s becoming hard to justify these models.
Lenovo
IdeaTab S2: Lenovo was very busy at CES announcing many devices from their ultrabooks, first Android 4.0 TV, and their first Android tablet. The Lenovo S2 tablet has a docking station much like the Transformer Prime. It comes with a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8960 dual-core Processor, 10.1 inch 1200 x 800 IPS display, 1GB RAM, 16-64 GB storage, 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera and shipping with ICS. There is also a 5 and 7 inch version of the S2 but the 10 inch is the only one expected to make a U.S. release. A solid entry for Lenovo into the crowded tablet market.
Pantech
Element: The first waterproof Android tablet has arrived as the Pantech Element. The 8 inch tablet will be on At&t 4G LTE network at $300 contract price. It will ship with Android 3.2, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of storage, 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. If you were ever worried about getting your tablet wet at the pool or beach then problem solved.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab 7.7: Samsung announced a new Galaxy Tab with a new size at 7.7 inch with Verizon. The tablets boast a 7.7 inch Super AMOLED 1200 x 800 (720 p), 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16-64 GB storage and upto 32 GB SD card. A very nice device but being tied to a carrier with monthly service is always a negative in my opinion. We’ll see how consumer take to this new tablet and size.
Toshiba
Excite X10: Toshiba was one of the first manufacturers with an Android tablet. But it wasn’t a hit due to the bulky design and high price. It seems that those lessons were learned with the new X10 being touted as the thinnest tablet at 7.7 mm thickness and 1.2 pounds. The X10 will be shipping with 1.2 GHz OMAP 4430 processor, 1200 x 800 IPS display, 1 GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The price point is also inline with other high-end device at $520 for 16GB and $600 for 32GB version.
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